BENEDICT XVIs PAPACY ENDS

On the early morning gathering of the 11

th
of February 2013; which was the
World Day of the Sick, Pope Benedict XVI announced and shocked the whole Catholic
church that he will retire and end his duty as the pope. He said I have come to the
certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate
exercise of the Petrine ministry, he also said that he will resign from his papal office,
effective on the 28
th
of February at 8:00 pm local time.
But before he was called as Pope Benedict XVI, he was also known as Joseph
Aloisius Ratzinger; born on the 16
th
of April 1927. He was ordained as a priest dated back
at 1951. Later on he established himself as a highly regarded university theologian before
being appointed as the Archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI. And
afterwards he was made cardinal by the consistory of the 27
th
of June 1977. At the age of
78 Cardinal Ratzinger was proclaimed and elected as the 265
th
pope, successor of Pope
John Paul II.
Cardinal Ratzinger took the pontifical name Benedict, coming from the Latin
word the blessed, in honor of both Pope Benedict XV and Saint Benedict of nursia. He
choses the name Benedict because like Pope Benedict XV he places his ministry in the
service of reconciliation and harmony between people; and like Saint Benedict of nursia
he wanted to lead us to the re-Christianization of Europe and or of the world.
During his pontificate Pope Benedict saw to himself as continuing the mission of
the late John Paul II. And as the pope, one of his main roles is to teach about Catholic
faith and the solutions to the problems of discerning and living faith. At the time of his
reign he also managed to intervene with the positions on moral and political issues of the
world. Including birth control, combat to HIV and AIDS, homosexuality specifically the
same sex marriage and the Global economy.
After the 8 years of his reign, at the age of 85, Benedict decided to step down to
his throne as the spiritual leader of the Catholic church. As said, the cause of his
resignation was due to his advance aged and according to Vatican Benedict said that
Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has
deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately
fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. It is said that this is the first time a pope has stepped
down in nearly 600 years since Pope Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own
initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294.
According to the Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, S.J., Pope Benedict will
not have the title of Cardinal upon his retirement, and will not be eligible to hold any
office in the Roman Curia. Father Lombardi even stated that the name or the title to be
given to him are His Holiness Benedict XVI, Roman Pontiff Emeritus or Pope Emeritus.
The pope said that he would step down at 8:00 pm on the 28
th
of February.
According to Lombardi, the day was just an ordinary day without particular significance
but that Pope Benedict might have chosen it to ensure a new pope was in place for
Easter. He also said he understood the pope usually finished his working day at 8 pm
which was why he had chosen that specific hour to step down. Benedict took months to
decide that he wasnt up for the job anymore, Lombardi said. Its not a decision he has
just improvised, the Vatican spokesman said. Immediately after his resignation, Benedict
took up residence in the Papal Palace in Castel Gandolfo.